Samuel e



UN IED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. HART\VELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BEDSTEAD-BOTTOM.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,878, dated October 26, 1858.

To all whom it may concern.'

Beit known that I, SAMUEL E. HARTWELL, of the city and State of New York, have invented, made, and applied to use a certain new and useful Improvement in Bedstead- Bottoms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawing, making part of this specification, wherein- Figure l, is a perspective view of a bedstead with my improved bottom. Fig. 2, is a side view of a portion of one slat, and Fig. 3, is an inverted plan of the same.

Similar marks of reference denote the same parts.

Bedsteads vary in their width and lengt-h sometimes two or three inches for a single double or other size bedstead, and hence any bottom to be adapted to such variation must be made adjustable, and beside this there is often more weight on one portion of the bed than another, hence the springs should be stronger where the weight of the shoulders and body reclines than where the legs lie.

In order to provide for the foregoing conditions I have invented an adjustable attachment between the side rails of the bedstead and the slats, whereby one end of a rubber or elastic loop is adjustably connected to the slat, and the other sets over a bar or rod connected to the sides of the bedstead aforesaid, so that by adjusting the aforesaid attachnient the bedstead bottom can be adapted to different variations in the size of the bedstead and also to the particular strain or weight on each slat, rendering the bed far more easy and comfortable for sleeping on.

In the drawing a, a are the head and foot boards, b, o, are the side rails forming a bedstead of any desired character; c', c, c, are the slats of the desired size and number. and running lengthwise or crosswise of the bedstead although I prefer the latter, and these slats are connected to each other by suitable straps (CZ, (L) running lengthwise of the bedstead and attached at the ends to the head and foot boards by elastic loops or otherwise; each end of each slat is formed with a clasp or buckle c, inserted into holes in the sides of said slats near the ends, and f is a rack formed of a bent or folded bar, the parallel parts of which are bent into a series of angles or corrugations and inserted between the clasp e, and the under side of the slatc, the said rack having previously been entered through the elastic loop g, or said loop attached thereto; ii, is a longitudinal bar inserted through the loops g on the ends of the slats, and sustained in eyes z', on the side rails of the bedstead. By this manner of constructing I am enabled to increase or decrease the length of the slats between the bends of the racks j' by moving` the notches of corrugations in said racks beneath the clasp or buckle e, whereby the strain on the loop g will be increased or decreased, and the slats adapted to variations in the width of the bedsteads, or to the power required in each spring or elastic loop.

Having thus described my invention and shown the manner of fitting the same I would remark that the peculiar benefits of this construction will be apparent, both in the facility for adjustment, as well as for replacing any spring that may be broken or injured.

Vhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentis- The adjustable rack f carrying the elastic loop g, and connected to the slat c, by the clasp e, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my signature this twelfth day of August 1858.

SAMUEL E. HARTIVELL.

IlVitnesses z LEMUEL W. SERRELL, THOMAS G. HAROLD. 

